Improvement in registers for freight-car doors



W. H. HOYT. REGISTERS FOR FREIGHT-CAR DOORS.

No. 195,284. Patented sept.1s,1e77.

I i 4 @y Il E] l (zV NYPETERS, PNOTD-DTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON D C UNITED STAT-Es l PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. Hom, or BATAvIA, New YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN .REGISTERS FOR FREIGHT-CAR DOORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 195,284, dated September 18, 1877,' application filed July 19,1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. HoY'r, of Batavia', in the county of Genesee and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Registers for Freight- Gars, which improvements are fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had tothe' accompanying drawing.

My vinvention relates to a registering mechanism designed to be employed on freightcars for recording the number of times the car has been opened, such as is described land shown in Letters Patent of `the United States No. 167,901, granted to myself and Frederick J. Hoyt, September 2l, 1875.

My invention consists ofthe particular construction vof the mechanism, as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is an elevation, showing a portion of a freightcar l'with the sliding door and register secured thereto. `Figj2 is an inside elevation of the register. Fig. 3 is'an inside elevation of the means foractuating the register. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the registering mechanism. Fig. 5 is an edge view of the bridgeetree of the register with the detent-pawls attached thereto. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of yone of the detent-pawls.

Like letters of reference refer to `like parts in each of the figures.

A represents the side of the car, and B the sliding door.

U is the case in which the register mechanism is arranged. It is made circular in form, and open at the back and secured by bolts c in a recess formed in the car-door, as shown in Fig. 4.

D is the slotted latch, pivoted to the case U at d, so as to engage over a catch or staple, e, in the side of the car, for securing the door. The latch D is provided on its inner side, near the pivot d, with a claw or tooth, f.

G is the slide for actuating the register mechanism. It is arranged horizontally on the outer side ot the face-plate of the case C, so as to project with its front end through the side of the case, and is protected by a cover, G', as shown in Fig. 4. The front end of the slide G is provided with a cavity, g, in which engages the claw f of the latch, so as to m ve the slide backward as the latch is closed.

h is a shoulder formed on the inner sid of the front portion of the slide G, so as to st ke against the case G when the slide is sufcie n 1y moved back, thereby limiting the backw rd movement of the slide.

H is a spiral spring arranged in a reces of the case C and slide G, so as to bear agai the latter, and return it to its forward posit when the latch is opened.

the slide G, and k a mutilated pinion mesh .n g therewith, and mounted on a short shaf l, arranged centrally in the case C, so as to ti n with the pinion 7c.

M is the primary or unit registering wh el or disk, mounted loosely on the shaft l, d M1 M2 M3 are the multiplying wheels or rin s, arranged concentric with the wheel M, so s to be capable of independent motion aroun a common axis. Each of the wheels M MP is supported with its rim or periphery on n inwardly-projecting flange of the respectie surrounding wheel, while the outer wheel is supported on an offset of the case C, clearly shown in Fig. 4. I

wheel M, while the other half of the coupli g is fitted on the square portion of the shft l, in such manner as to turn therewith wh e gagement with the half secured to the whl M bya spiral spring, o, interposed betwen the loose half of the coupling and the cae C. The outer end of the shaft Z is held n position by the hub of the pinion k, turni fr in a corresponding opening in the case while the inner end of the shaft Z turns in a bridge-tree, P, arranged perpendicularly on t e rear side of the register-wheels, and securd with its ends to the case G. The regist wheels are each provided on their outer sid s with numerals or characters, from 0 to 9, o of each wheel being exposed at a time throu i an opening, q, in the face-plate of the caste, which opening is preferably covered with glass.

The rings M1 M2 M3 are each provided on their inner side with a projecting rim or ange, r, arranged around their inner edges. rlhese circular {ianges 1' are each provided with ten equidistant notches, s, corresponding in arrangement with the numerals on the face side of the rings. t t1 t2 are pawls or dogs pivoted, respectively, to the wheels M Ml M2, near their peripheries; and u are guide-ribs or flanges arranged on the under side of the bridge-tree P, for forcing the pawls as they pass under the bridge-tree into the adjacent notch s of the next surrounding wheel. v are detent springpawls, secured to the bridge-tree P, for preventing any retrograde movement of the rings M1 M2 M3. their heads partially above the circular flanges 1' of the rings, so as to engage in the notches s thereof, and partially over the adjacent inner wheel, as shown in Fig. 2. That portion of the head of each pawl engaging in the notch s is made with a perpendicular face, so as to hold the respective ring against movementin either direction, while the inner portion of the head of each pawl is made inclined, as shown in Fig.

l 6, to enable the pawl v to be raised and disengaged from the respective notch s as one of the pawls t tl t2 passes under the same. The unit-.wheel M is held against backward movement by a ratchet, w, and detent-pawl lw.

In closing the latch D for securing the door, the slide Gr is moved backward by the claw f, andthe pinion k is turned one-tenth of a revolution,which movement is transmitted to the unitwheel by the coupling n. The num ber of teeth in the latter corresponds with the number of numerals on the unit-wheel, being ten in the drawing.

Upon opening the latch D the slide G is returned to its forward position by the spring H, and the pinion k and loose half of the coupling n are turned back one-tenth of a revolution, ready to be operated again when the latch is again closed.

When the unit-wheel M has completed a The pawls fu are arranged with revolution, the pawl t thereof strikes under the inner detent-pawl fv, disengaging the same from the notch s of the ring M1 and releasing the latter. The head of the pawl t is at the same time forced intothe notch sbythe guideflange u, so that the next movement of the unitwheel also causes the next surrounding ring M1 to be turned one-tenth of a revolution. At the completion of this movement of the ring Ml the pawl t drops out of the notch s, and the ring Ml remains stationary, while the wheel M continues its movement. When the ring M1 has completed a revolution this is registered by moving the ring M2 'one degree, in'a similar manner.

By noting the numbers'exposed by the register after the latch is locked, and comparing them with the numbers exhibited by the register upon the arrival of the car at its point of destination, it is readily ascertained whether or not the latch has been opened between the stations.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the latch D, of a slide, G, and registering mechanism for re cording the number of times the latch has been opened and closed, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination, with the latch D, provided with claw f, of the slide G, provided with spring H, and registering mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

3. The combination, with the latch D and slide G, provided with rack i, of the pinion k, coupling n, spring o, and registering-wheels, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

' wM. n. Ho'Y'r.

Witnesses:

EDWARD WILHELM, OHAs. J. BUGHHEIT.A 

